It’s first thing in the morning and I am at the seafront to catch sight of local fishermen bringing in their trawls. Aside from the seagulls trying to catch a crafty snack, the beach is deserted. It’s much too early for small talk, but it’s worth it; this is one of the finest scenes the historic town has to offer.
Hastings in East Sussex is unusual in that it has no harbour and fishermen have to lug their catch up to the beach, with its steep cliffs and old wooden net stores. Before long, sole, cod, plaice and the rest of the catch will have made their way to the huts and restaurants by the harbour. It’s a smelly, busy, joyful scene.
If you don’t believe me, take it from Dante Gabriel Rossetti. “Yesterday I saw the sun rise over the sea — the most wonderful of earthly sights,” he wrote to his mother in 1854. The pre-Raphaelites clearly knew a good thing when they saw it. JMW Turner has also painted this view.
It’s a big year for Hastings. Not only is it the 950th anniversary of the Norman Conquest, with events and exhibitions to mark the occasion, but its pier has finally reopened after a £14 million redevelopment. The famous landmark, which was devastated by a fire six years ago, once hosted bands that included the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd.
The pier’s reinvention sums up the town’s regeneration: less bucket-and-spade, more hipster cool. Regular events here include open-air yoga and cinema screenings, while the food and drink is more quiche and flat whites than cockles and candyfloss. Many of the wooden planks on the spacious, modern pier have been reclaimed from the original structure.
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When the pier first opened in 1872, Lord Granville, who was at that time Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, offered the following address: “This pier is a peerless pier, a pier without a peer, unless that peer be the humble individual who is now addressing you.” There was less music-hall humour this time. Some locals aren’t happy with the amount of money that has been spent on it and others have dubbed it “the plank”.
To my eyes, however, the pier is beautiful, an escape from the hubbub of the town, and the view from the end makes you feel as though you’re standing in the middle of the ocean.
Say the town’s name to anyone and I’d wager the first thing they would associate with it is “Battle of”. There could be no better time to visit in this special anniversary year, though you’ll need to travel eight or so miles to Battle to see the actual battlefield and the Abbey built on it as an act of penance.
One question has been causing particular controversy: where to lay the stone slab marking the spot where King Harold fell in 1066. The problem is, no one is certain where it should go in the abbey — where he was hit in the eye with an arrow, or where he was hacked to pieces? The experts have plumped for the latter and a new stone has been moved 6m to the east.
If you’d rather stay in town, you can see the conquering William of Normandy’s Hastings Castle by taking a ride up the West Hill Cliff Railway, a Victorian funicular, which on a clear day offers remarkable views of Beachy Head and across the Channel.
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We enjoy this funicular so much that we end up going up East Hill Lift as well, to Hastings Country Park and Nature Reserve, where we stretch our legs and try to spot France.
Before we take on the slew of vintage and antique stores in the Old Town and chi-chi wine bars that are popping up everywhere, my friend Jennifer and I wander down Rock-a-Nore Road to take a look at the local heritage museums.
The Fishermen’s Museum, set in a former church, is packed with fishing memorabilia and worth visiting for the black-and-white photographs of ancient, gurning fishermen alone. Just round the corner is the Shipwreck Museum, where you can find all sorts of flotsam. We discover that nearly 1,000 ships have sunk off this coast. Most are from the 19th and 20th centuries when the area was one of the busiest seaways in the world.
The next day we go to the Jerwood Gallery, which opened in 2012 and is minutes away from the Old Town. There’s a permanent collection of art that includes the work of Sir Stanley Spencer, LS Lowry and Augustus John. The temporary exhibitions are strong too — now you can see Bitten By Picasso, which includes ceramics, etchings and photographs by and of the Spanish artist. There’s also an exceptionally good café with a terrace.
Afterwards we make our way to the Old Town, focusing on High Street and George Street. Here we find second-hand art, jewellery and furniture galore, as well as AG Hendy & Co, an eccentric home store that sells things such as horsehair cobweb brooms and candlewick trimmers.
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We stop off at Butlers Emporium and I decide to buy a pair of colourful vintage curtains with kitchen jars printed on them. How could I not? No sooner have I picked them up than the shop owner tells me that they were the curtains in the home she grew up in. I don’t care if she’s lying for a sale — she is such a good storyteller that I end up buying them for £20, even though they don’t fit any of the windows at home. There are few better places for picking up trinkets than this part of town — I’ll be back.
Need to know
Fiona Wilson was a guest of visit1066country.com
Where to stay
The White House (01424 719610, thewhitehouse.co) is a grand Victorian house with individually designed rooms, some with magnificent sea views. B&B doubles are from £85.
Where to eat
The elegant Webbe’s Restaurant (01424 721650, webbesrestaurants.co.uk) offers local catches, shellfish platters and seafood boards. For something a little more informal, try the First in Last Out (01424 425079, thefilo.co.uk). The pub brews its own beer and serves a solid selection of traditional dishes, from baked ham and eggs to spicy lamb burgers.